Amos 9

The Lord Will Sift Israel out of All the Nations

1 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:Strike the tops of the pillars so that the foundations shake.Cut off everyone’s head.I will kill with a sword all who are left.None of them will be able to get away.None of them will be able to escape.2 Even if they dig their way into Sheol,my hand will take them from there.Even if they go up to heaven,I will bring them down from there.3 Even if they hide on top of Mount Carmel,I will look for them and take them from there.Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea,I will command a sea snake to bite them.4 Even if they go into exile ahead of their enemies,I will command a sword to kill them.I will keep my eyes on themso that I can bring disaster on them and not help them.5 The Almighty Lord of Armies touches the earth.It quakes, and all who live on it mourn.All of it rises like the Nileand sinks like Egypt’s river.6 The one who builds stairs up to heavenand sets their foundation on the earth,the one who calls for the water in the seaand pours it over the face of the earth—His name is the Lord.7 You people of Israel are like the people from Sudan, says the Lord.Didn’t I bring Israel from Egypt?Didn’t I bring the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir?8 I, the Almighty Lord, have my eyes on this sinful kingdom.I will wipe it off the face of the earth.But I won’t totally destroy the descendants of Jacob, declares the Lord.9 I’m going to give the order.I will sift the nation of Israel out of all the nationsas if I were using a sieve.Not one pebble will fall to the ground.10 All the sinners among my people are thinking,“Destruction will not catch up to us or run into us.”In spite of this, they will be killed with swords.

The Lord Will Restore His People

11 On that day I will set up David’s fallen tent.I will repair the holes in it.I will restore its ruined places.I will rebuild them as they were a long time ago.12 They will capture the few survivors of Edomand all the other nations that were under my authority,declares the Lord, who will do these things.13 The days are going to come, declares the Lord,when the one who plows will catch up to the one who harvests,and the one who stomps on grapes will catch up to the one who plants.New wine will drip from the mountainsand flow from all the hills.14 I will restore my people Israel.They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.They will plant vineyards and drink the wine from them.They will plant gardens and eat their fruit.15 I will plant the people of Israel in their land,and they won’t be uprooted again from the land that I gave them,says the Lord your God.

Amos 9

1 I saw the sovereign Onet standing by the altars and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars,t so the thresholds shake!
Knock them down on the heads of all the people,t
and I will kill the survivorst with the sword.
No one will be able to run away;t
no one will be able to escape.t

2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld,t
my hand would pull them up from there.
Even if they could climb up to heaven,
I would drag them down from there.

3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,
I would hunt them down and take them from there.
Even if they tried to hide from met at the bottom of the sea,
from theret I would command the Sea Serpents to bite them.

4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity,t
from theret I will command the sword to kill them.
I will not let them out of my sight;
they will experience disaster, not prosperity.”t

5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this.t
He touches the earth and it dissolves;t
all who live on it mourn.
The whole eartht rises like the River Nile,t
and then grows calmt like the Nile in Egypt.s

6 He builds the upper rooms of his palaces in heaven
and sets its foundation supportst on the earth.s
He summons the water of the sea
and pours it out on the earth’s surface.
The Lord is his name.

7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,”ts says the Lord.
“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,
but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtors and the Arameans from Kir.t

8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watchingt the sinful nation,t
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.
But I will not completely destroy the familyt of Jacob,” says the Lord.

9 “For look, I am giving a command
and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.
It will resemble a sieve being shaken,
when not even a pebble falls to the ground.t

10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –
the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty

11 “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hutt of David.
I will seal itss gaps,
repair itss ruins,
and restore it to what it was like in days gone by.t

12 As a result theys will conquer those left in Edomt
and all the nations subject to my rule.”ts
The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!

13 “Be sure of this,t the time ist coming,” says the Lord,
“when the plowman will catch up to the reapers
and the one who stomps the grapess will overtaket the planter.s
Juice will run down the slopes,t
it will flow down all the hillsides.t

14 I will bring back my people, Israel;t
they will rebuild the cities lying in rubblet and settle down.t
They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce;t
they will grow orchardst and eat the fruit they produce.t

15 I will plant them on their land
and they will never again be uprooted from thet land I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.